The dispersion of poison gas in Syria is a catastrophe for the affected people. The dispersion of poison gas finds our strongest condemnation. A clarification of facts by the UN is strongly needed. Either it was a poison gas attack, and then it must eventually work out to hold the culprit responsible for a war crime. Or, a poison gas factory, which was not run by Syrian government forces but by other troops, which has been bombarded. In this case, this must be strongly condemned as well and the culprits must be held responsible.

The cowardly attack in Saint Petersburg shows, that a new development in the Russia-EU relations must begin. First of all, our sympathies go to the relatives of the murdered and injured. The causes and the methods of terror can only be fought together. It was wrong to pressure Russia repeatedly and to try to isolate the country. The appropriation of Crimea was against international law, but the sanctions by the EU were the wrong step.

The Party of the European Left (EL) congratulates the people of Ecuador and its President Lenín Moreno for their electoral victory. The right could not win despite the prophecies of an end of cycle.

With a participation of more than 80%, the people of Ecuador confirm at the polls the mistake of those who affirm that Latin America is destined to be governed by the toughest right and become again a land of inequalities, of impunity for the multinationals and in a large open zone for limitless investment, with populations increasingly poor and deprived of rights.

The President of the European Left, Gregor Gysi, met in Strasbourg today with the President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Guido Raimondi, for political talks.

Both stressed that political power, even if by a majority, needs to be controlled if human rights and democracy are to be secured. They spoke about ways to implement decisions of the Court in case member states of the Council of Europe would not conform to them.